Indonesia is the world’s second largest producer of natural rubber after Thailand and Japan’s largest importer. In recent years, the country has experienced an outbreak of leaf blight, which is thought to be mainly caused by the Pestalotiopsis fungus, and the rapid spread of the disease has led to a decline in natural rubber production. There are concerns that the decrease in natural rubber production due to the leaf blight disease will lead to a decrease in income and farmer turnover among small-scale farmers who support natural rubber production, while at the same time having a significant impact on the country’s export industry. This cooperation will be achieved through the development of new compound fungicides and new microbial fungicides that are effective against rubber tree leaf blight, the creation of rubber tree leaf blight resistant clones using genome technology, the development of a rubber tree leaf blight affected area detection system using spatial information and artificial intelligence, research and development related to rubber tree disease control, and the establishment of a foundation for social implementation. The project will develop a combined control technology for rubber tree leaf blight and contribute to the realization of effective preventive measures throughout Indonesia by building a foundation for social implementation.
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